MasterChef Contestant Found Dead of Apparent Suicide (UPDATE)

UPDATE 3: TMZ is reporting that Joshua Marks committed suicide just 24 hours after learning that he had been diagnosed as schizophrenic.

Joshua's mom says that her son had just comes to terms with being diagnosed as bipolar and "couldn't bear the thought of another diagnosis."

UPDATE 2: The Chicago Medical Examiner's office later confirmed to People, "Joshua Marks suffered a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was suicide."

UPDATE 1 (10/12/13): Police confirmed to People that Josh Marks' body was found with a gunshot wound to the head at 6:37 p.m. Friday (October 11) in Chicago's South Side. "Right now, this is a death investigation," Chicago Police Department spokesman John Mirabelli told People. "There was a weapon recovered at the scene. We're awaiting lab tests and autopsy results. We're also checking for any nearby surveillance video." Police told the Chicago Tribune that an acquaintance and two relatives of the victim were on the scene, and one of the relatives told police that Josh suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and he was distraught about something.

According to a representative for the Chicago Police Department, A woman found the reality contestant's body in an alleyway and screamed for help. The body was that of a 26-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head and a gun lying nearby. TMZ says multiple sources involved in the ongoing investigation confirmed it was Josh.

It's a tragic end for a clearly troubled man. Back on July 31, Josh was arrested following an assault on a police officer near the University of Chicago campus. The officer in question spotted Josh as he was trying to make a call on an emergency phone. When the cop attempted to assist him, Josh lashed out, punching him and attempting to grab his weapon. Once subdued by several officers, Josh was taken to a hospital, where he ranted about Gordon Ramsay. Josh claimed the MasterChef host had turned him into a God.

Against expectations, no drugs were found in Josh's system at that time. However, as Josh revealed in a PSA months prior to his arrest, he suffered from bipolar disorder, and it's believed he was suffering from a manic episode at the time of his arrest.

Our thoughts are with Josh's family and loved ones. We will update this developing story as more details emerge.